Public consultation on future of Horsham Novartis site

A public consultation is set to be held over new plans for the future of the former Horsham Novartis site.

West Sussex County Council has drawn up proposals to create a ‘mixed use’ scheme at the Wimblehurst Road site which will see a large space for business created along with new houses.

The latest proposals were presented at a community stakeholder event this week, attended by representatives from Horsham District Council, parish councils and local residents

Louise Goldsmith, Leader of the council, said: “Our main driver when purchasing the site was to build on its long-established position as a major employment centre. This development gives us a terrific opportunity to provide a mixture of much needed, high-quality commercial and residential space on a prime Horsham site, whilst retaining the Art Deco building which is part of the site’s heritage.”

Novartis left the site in 2014 and it was bought by the county council two years later for £16m.

The council originally planned to create a world-leading science park on the grounds however, a new masterplan sets out around two-thirds of the site will be turned into commercial development while the remaining third will be made into housing.

The commercial side will ‘create and support higher-value employment’ while the residential ‘will include affordable housing’.

The Art Deco building at the site will be retained along with several trees.

A public consultation on the plans is set to be held in September with the county council planning to submitted a planning application by the end of the year.

Mrs Goldsmith added: “The feedback from attendees at our kick-off briefing this week was invaluable and will be taken on board as we move to the wider public consultation stage in the autumn.”

Work on the site is not expected to begin before 2021 and could take around five years to complete.